Improvement in harvesters



' v 5S`heets--She'et1.. W. N. WHITELEY'.

' Harvesters. N0.|48,533, Patented March10.1874.

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5'Sh'eets--Sheet 5.

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Harvesters. N0,l48,533, PatentedMarch10.1 874.

UNITED STATES f PATENT FFICE.

WILLIAM N'. WHITELEY, Or SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 148,533, dated March 10, 1874 application filed July 1,

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM N. WHITELEY, of Springfield, in the county of Clarke and State 0f Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Harvesters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my machine from the front. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my machine from the rear. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is a vertical central section of reel-stand and mechanism. Fig. 6 is a plan of the reel-cam. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the segment-plate, axle-arm, and adjusting-lever. Fig. 9 is a central axial section of main-wheel axle. Fig.v10 is a side elevation of grain-wheel arm, with section of latch.

This invention relates to that class of harvestingmachines which have but 011e main supporting and driving wheel, and a cutting apparatus rigidly attached to the main frame; and it has for its object the arrangement of the automatic revolving rake and reel stand upon the main frame, forward of the line of the cutters, and immediately contiguous to the pinion-shaft, so that said rake and reel are driven directly from said shaft without the intervention of any counter-shaft, chains, or belts; also, the mounting of the rake and reel cam directly upon a stud cast Wit-h the main frame; also, the construction of the rake-arm holder with the pendant and roller at its outer end; also, the Inounting of the wheels, intermediate between the rake and main pinion-shaft, upon a stud forming a part of the said pinionshaft box, so that the relative adjustment of said intermediate wheels and their driving-pinions will be at all times secure; also, the mounting of the seat upon a horizontal axis and a locking arrangement, whereby the adjustment of the seat may be secured as the main frame is raised or lowered; also, the arrangement of an adjustable liftinglever with an automaticlatch to operate upon the main-wheel arm and segment-plate, to adjust the height of the main frame; also, the rigid attachment of said segment-plate.

That others may fully understand my invention, I will more particularly describe it.

The main frame A is cast in a single piece, with depressions a l) for the reception of the crankshaft, beveldriver, and the crank, to guard them against contact with grass or stubble, or any object upon the ground. At the front end of the main frame-plate there is a socket, c, of proper width and length to receive the rear end of the tongue B, which is retained in said socket by a joint-bolt, d. The vertical sides of the socket c are parallel, and are slightly greater than the width of the tongue, while the top and bottom sides recede from each other outwardly, forming a Haring socket, in which the tongue may work up and down as the machine is raised or lowered at its front end. The rear end of the frame-plate A is curved sidewise slightly, and extended backward to form a suitable shoe or place of attachment for the linger-bar C. At the inner or grain side of the socket is a projecting lug or bracket, e, for the attachment of :thei'ront' end of a .guide or guard rod, D, the rear end of which is supported by a small standard, f. A hollow stud, E, is castl with the frame-plate A, and, beingproperly broaclied out true on the inner side, said stud forms the base and support for the rake king-bolt F. Said bolt is retained in place by means of a set-bolt, g. The outer surface ot' the stud E, after it has been properly iinished, forms a bearing and attachment for the rake and reel cam G, so that said cam is attached to, and mounted upon, the main frame directly, and not upon a bridge over the inner shoe, as is usual. side of the main frame-plate A there is a segment-plate, H, secured to the plateA by means of screw-bolts or other suitable fastenin gs. The segment-plate His curved, and its outer edge is concentric to the axis of the pinionshaft I, which rests across the frame A, confined in suitable boxes h. An arm, J, is centered upon the pinion-shaft I as an axis, and has its outer end provided with a grooved head itted over the segment-plateH as a guide, and the axle of the main driving and supporting wheel K is attached to said arm at its outer end, so that as the said arm is raised or lowered, moving upon the pinion-shaft I as an axis, the frame of the machine will be correspondingly At the outer lowercdor raised. The segment-plateH extends a little way below the plate A, and is then bent forward and upward, so that its lower end may be secured to the side of said iframe-plate A a little in advance of the pinionshaft, and a projecting rib or iiangeLy', 011 the end ot' said segment incloses the end of the arm J, and retains it in place upon the pinionshaft. 'Ihe segment is alsof thereby secured to the main frame at two points considerably removed from each other, and the attachment thereof is thereby made very strongand stift. To raise or lower the plate H to adjust the height of the frame of the machine, I employ an adjustable compound lever, L, arranged in a position convenient within reach of the hand of the driver, whereby he may raise or lower the machine at will, and during the time of its advance. The lever L has its fulcrum in one of a series of holes, 7s, made in the segmentplate H, and the front end of said lever is made cylindrical, and set at right angles to the body of said lever, so as to conveniently enter and act within one or the other of said holes. A link-plate, M, is jointed to the head ot' the arm J, and also to the lever L at a little distance from its fulcrum end, so that the i'rame and segment H and the arm J are simultaneously acted upon and moved in opposite directions by any movement of said lever. But in order to enable the driver to effect this movement at will, and during the advance of themachine, I also attach a latching device to hold the segment and arm J in the relative position desired. To this endI prefer a springlatch, N, secured to the head ot' arm J by a bolt, and en gagingin one of a series of notches, m, indented in the outer edge of the segmentguide H. lThis latch will automatically engage with one or the other of said notches, and arrest the downward movement of the frame A, it' from any accidental cause the same should escape from the control ot' the driver while shifting the adjustment. A small dog, n, is pivoted, for convenience, to the link-plate M, and is arranged to engage with and withdraw the latch N when actuated by the thumbpiece O and connecting-wire p. These movements are clearly shown in Fig. S. The axle of the main wheel is a cylindrical sleeve, I), having an enlarged hub at its inner end, and `firmly secured to t-he arm J by means of a long bolt, Q, with a strong nut at its end. A hub or sleeve, R, is fitted to sleeve I outside of the hub of the main wheel K, and upon said sleeve l) the drivers seat S and footboard T are mounted, said sleeve being provided with laterally-projectin g wings or flanges for the proper reception and securing of the seat-leg s and foot-board arm t. The lower end or foot of the leg s is seated in and fitted to an indentation in the flange or top of sleeve R, made for the purpose, and secured therein by a single bolt. In order to permit the seat to. be changed so as to bring the weight of the driver nearer to the plane ofthe wheel, as may sometimes be required to properly balance thc machine, two or more of similar indentations may be arranged in different positions, in either one of which said seat-leg may be placed and secured. The outer end of the sleeve l) is made square or polygonal, and the hub ot' a segment-plate, U, is tted to that portion ot' said sleeve, and outside of, but contiguous to, the end of the hub It. Said segment-plate U is provided with a series of notches or holes in its edge, wherein a latch-bolt, r, may engage "to-retain the sleeve It and the seat and footboard in proper position. As the machine is set high or low, the seat S will be brought up or thrown backward correspondingly, and the proper level will be secured by shifting the adjustmenton segment plate U. A clip, q, extending from sleeve R around and embracing the edge of the segment-plate I I, retains said sleeve and plate in proper contiguity in thevicinity of the latch r, so that the latter will be certain always to act. The main wheel K is provided with an internal gear-rim, secured to its inner side, and arranged to mesh with the pinion V upon the outer end of the pinion-shaft I, whereby the motion ofthe main wheel is transmitted to the cutters crank-shaft W through the bevel-driver u and pinion on the crank-shaft, an d to the rake and reel through the bevel pinions and wheel w and spur-wheels a z.

While the machine is advancing, it is frequently necessary that the points of the iin- -gers and cutters shall be raised or depressed and, as before described, I have, therefore, set the tongue in a socket, so that the front end of the machine may be raised or lowered; and, to enable the driver to so operate it at will, I employ an elbow-lever, X, pivoted, at its end, to the tongue, and at its elbow to the side of the said socket c, so that, as said lever is i pushed or pulled, the relative positions ot' tongue and frame A will be varied, and the points of the cutters moved up or down aecordingly 5 and, to retain them in the position desired, I employ a notched segment-bar, Y, and a latch, l, operated, to withdraw it, by a thumb-piece at the 'upper end of said leverX.

The pinion V is provided, at its back, with the ordinary rack and pawl case, whereby it v is permitted to run backward freely, and may be entirely ungeared from pinion-shaft I when it is desirable not to operate the machinery while moving forward. i

A guard-plate, a', is secured t0 the frame A in front of the wheel u., to prevent entanglement of any object with the cogs of said wheel. The pinion-shaft box h is cast with a stud, b, upon its back, and said stud forms the axis or bearing for the bevel-wheel u and upright spur-pinion y, which are driven by the pinion v on pinion-shaft I. The box h being solid, and bored out for the said shaft, it is evident that said pinion c and its wheel w must always remain in mesh and operative, whether the holding-bolts of the said box are tight or not. The upright pinion 3/ meshes with and drives the spur-wheel z, with which the rake-head c by the pendent arm g'.

is cast in one solid piece, and the usual intermediate shaft is thereby dispensed with, and the stationary shaft or kin g-bolt F substituted in its place. The rake or reel beaters d' are cach attached to the outer end of an arm, c', and said arm is adjustable in a bifurcated holder, f', which is jointed to the head c' in the ordinary way. At the outer or front end ot' each holder j" there is a pendent arm, g', and a head at its lower end, through which is inserted an axis-pin for a friction-roller, h', said pin being set so that its axis would, if projected, cut the axis of the joint-bolt upon which the holder f moves. The friction-roller IL' traverses a cam-guide, G, by which the motions of the rake and reel beaters are controlled. The cam G is supported upon arms 7c' projecting from a central hub, Z', which is fitted to the stud E, and secured thereon by a set-bolt, t'. A switch, m', is set in the cam G at the point where the reel-beaters shall begin to rise from the grain as it is being cut, and the frictionrollers la' being at the front ends of the rakeholders f', said switch moves inavertical plane, and the end of its pivot and the closing-spring p', may, therefore, be placed inside of the cam G, instead of beneath it, and this places said pivot and spring out of the way, and in' greater security than when placed beneath said cam, as is usual. This arrangement secures several other useful results, also. The two sides of the bifurcated holder are united and strengthened The rake is controlled with less resistance, and the cam-guide can be made larger in diameter, than where the friction-roller is placed on an arm pendent from the rear end of said holder near the joint-bolt.

Vhen the switch is open, therollers pass up over it, and their beaters do not touch the grain which may then be upon the plat* form, but when s aid switch is closed, as shown in Fig. 7 then the next succeeding roller passes beneath said switch, and its beater sweeps the grain from the platform. This roller opens the switch as it pa'sses by, striking the switch-tail n'; and it is kept open by' au automatic latch, o', pivoted to the upper part of the cam. This latch extends below the cam, and is connected by a wire or rod to the pivoted arm g' at the end of a small bracket, r', whereby said latch may be withdrawn automatically and the switch permitted to close a little in advance of the arrival of the roller. This is accomplished by a tripper, s', attached to the rake-holder, which at the proper moment strikes the lever g' and unlatches the switch.

But it is sometimes desirable to place the rake entirely under control of the driver, and I, therefore, connect the lever q' by a cord, chain, or wire with a treadle-lever, t', placed upon the driver's foot-board, so that he can at any moment release the switch and cause the next succeeding beater to descend and rake the grain from the platform. The treadlc-lever t' is constructed with a crankbar made cylindrical and fitted to a tubular box, w', which is bolted fast to the foot-board T. Said bar has a treadle, c', at its front part and a spring to retract it when the foot is withdrawn. lt has also a vertical iiange or foot-guard, zo', cast with the box and extendingalong the inner edge of the foot-board. At the front side of the cam G there 'is a slotted bracket, G', the lower end of which rests upon the top of the stud b', and is supported thereby. A screw-bolt from said stud passes through the slotrin said bracket, as shown, and permits a certain rotary movement of the cam upon its supporting-stud E, for the purpose of adjusting the stroke of the rake and reel beaters. A brace, H', is bolted to a lug at the front end of the sector-plate H, and extends therefrom to the top of the stud b', where it is secured beneath the slotted bracket G'. Thus the sector-plate is braced and the cam G is supported by the same stud which forms the center or pivot for the pinions intermediate, whereby the rake and reel are driven. The outer end of the cutting apparatus and platform is carried upon a caster grain-wheel, A'. The arm B', which carries the grain-wheel pivot, is jointed at its front end to a plate, C', hinged to the shoe-plate D'. Said plate C' is provided with a series of holes, in one of which a latch-bolt, E', attached to the arm. B', may engage. Said latch is composed of a bolt, E', having a disk upon it loosely iitting a cylindrical recess bored nearly through the arm B'. -The bolt E' projects through a smaller hole at the bottom of said recess, and is pro vided with a head, whereby itv may be moved and kept from escaping from its place.

Vhen said disk is drawn into its recess, the bolt I,will be withdrawn from its hole, and the adjustment of the arm B' may be changed. A spring placed within said recess and be nea-th said disk will automatically project the bolt E' forward again and cause it to engage` with one of the latch-holes.

Having described my invention, what I claimV as new isl. The stud E, cast with and projectin g from the main frame, to receive and hold the cam G, as set forth.

2. The bifurcated holder f for the rakeA arm,

constructed with the pendent arm g' andfric` tion-roller h' at its outer end, as set forth.'

3. In combination with the bevel-wheel w and upright pinion y, the bevelepinion v on the master wheel pinionshaft I, and the spurwheel z on the revolving rake-head, as set forth.

4. The box for the master-wheel pinion-shaft, l formed with the stud or support b' for the bevel and combined with the segment-plate U, fixed to said sleeve, and a latch-bolt, as and for they' purpose set forth.

6. The segment-plate H, constructed with 8. The brace H', extending from the forward its lower end projected forward, as shown, so end of the seg1nent-p1ate H to the upright as to afford two points of attachment to the pinion -bolt b, to strengthen said segmentlnain frame and guard the main-Wheel gear. plate.

7 The adjustable lifting-lever L,li11ked t0 WILLIAM N. VHITELEY. the sliding; axle-arm J, combined with the Witnesses: spring-latch N, to raise and lower the machine LOUIS PHILLIPS, on the master-wheel sido. GEO. XV. BURNS. 

